Quality of Light 2007
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Quality of Light, Quality of Life Professional Artists & Cultural Industries In and Around Broken Hill By Lisa Andersen & Jane Andrew - APRIL 2007 - Acknowledgements The researchers would like to thank the artists, cultural industry workers, government workers and everyone who contributed the content to this report by completing surveys, attending focus groups and being interviewed. Thanks also to the following people who contributed to the research methodology design, data collection and/or project management: • James Giddey and Kellie Scott, West Darling Arts • Robert Sidford, NSW Department of State & Regional Development • Honor-Lynn Beck, Far Western Regional Development Board • Eileen Braybrook, Broken Hill Youth Enterprise Services • Pauline O’Loughlin and Nicole Talmacs, University of Technology, Sydney • Professor David Throsby and Virginia Hollister, Macquarie University • Cathy Henkel, Queensland University of Technology • Dr Lou Wilson, Australian Institute for Social Research, The University of Adelaide • Elizabeth Rogers, James Wu and Rachael Vincent, Regional Arts NSW And finally we would like to sincerely thank Ellenor Day, Executive Officer of the Far Western Development Board, for her commitment, patience and support in organising, managing and publishing this research project. The front cover of the report features local artworks. They are: Deidre Edwards, Meandering Creek, 2005, mixed media on paper Virginia Kaiser, White Hot, 2006, Washingtonian palm sheaths The Audience Development Project at Regional Arts NSW - co-sponsor of this project - was funded by The Australia Council for the Arts. The project also received assistance from the Country Arts Support Program through ArtsNSW and Regional Arts NSW. Table of Contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................3 1.1 Summary of Research Findings ..........................................................................................3 1.2 Recommendations ..............................................................................................................5 2 INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND....................................................................................11 2.1 Report Aims ..................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Background to this Research Partnership.......................................................................... 12 2.3 Regional Profile................................................................................................................ 12 2.4 The Arts and Cultural Sector in Broken Hill ..................................................................... 13 3 RESEARCH METHOD ...........................................................................................................19 3.1 Research Advisory Group................................................................................................. 19 3.2 Secondary Research.......................................................................................................... 20 3.3 Primary Research ............................................................................................................. 21 4 FINDINGS FROM SURVEY OF PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS...............................................25 4.1 Demographics: Who are the ‘Creative’ Workers? ............................................................. 26 4.2 Education and Training..................................................................................................... 28 4.3 Income, Work Breakdown and Sales ................................................................................ 31 4.4 Arts Businesses ................................................................................................................ 35 4.5 Living in the Far West: The Influence of Place ................................................................. 41 4.6 Future Development and Sustainability............................................................................. 45 4.7 SWOT Analysis................................................................................................................ 51 5 PRIORITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT......................................................................................51 5.1 Arts Exchanges and Skills Development........................................................................... 52 5.2 Knowledge Sharing and Arts Leadership.......................................................................... 53 5.3 Business Skills Development............................................................................................ 55 5.4 Enterprise Development and Strategic Planning................................................................ 56 5.5 Finance and Risk Management ......................................................................................... 57 5.6 Markets and Marketing..................................................................................................... 58 6 SCREEN INDUSTRY .............................................................................................................61 6.1 Film in Broken Hill .......................................................................................................... 62 6.2 The Location .................................................................................................................... 62 6.3 Local Infrastructure and Services...................................................................................... 63 6.4 Film Broken Hill .............................................................................................................. 63 6.5 Issues and Ideas for Ongoing Development ...................................................................... 66 APPENDICES...............................................................................................................................69 APPENDIX ONE: Bibliography of Information Collected for Broken Hill Research ................ 69 APPENDIX TWO: Survey of Artists ........................................................................................ 76 APPENDIX THREE: Arts Development Models ...................................................................... 98 Quality of Light, Quality of Life Professional Artists and Cultural Industries in and around Broken Hill, April 2007 2 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS & REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS 1.1 Summary of Research Findings This research aims to advance understanding of the arts and cultural industries sector and to support policy formation by making explicit the character of cultural production and the talent pool of professional artists in the region, identifying barriers to development and employment creation and providing recommendations to grow this sector. Professional artists and cultural producers who live in the region – including Broken Hill, Menindee, Wilcannia and White Cliffs - completed a questionnaire capturing information about their creative practices, audiences and markets, income and business practices. Interviews were recorded, focus groups run, and secondary research was also part of the mix. The project also researched and built a database of local professional and emerging artists, cultural businesses and other relevant businesses in the area. 51% of the respondents were visual artists, crafts practitioners or designers. Other cultural industries occupations include musicians (7%), writers (5%) and screen industry workers (5%). The “other” category (25%) included arts managers, teachers and retailers. A professional artist in Broken Hill is likely to be older than 45 years and she or he was born in the far west or has lived there longer than 21 years. Of the 27% who had moved to the area in the past five years - after falling in love with the light and the landscape on a visit – many had come because they wanted more time to spend on their arts practices and because living is cheaper. The professional artist spends 54% of work time on creative work and 28% of time on earning income from non-artistic work. Like the “Brushmen of the Bush” themselves, many are self-taught or learned “on the job”. The average total annual income for the 2005-2006 financial year - from all types of work - was $44,331 and the median (mid point) income was $45,000. The average annual income from their creative practices was $22,497. This compares favourably with the national figure for professional artists of $17,000. The 25 arts businesses that completed the survey have a total of 77 employees, with an average of three employees per business. These creative businesses are optimistic about future prospects; 36% described their businesses as “growing” over the next three years, 38% as “sustainable”, 17% as “commencing” with only 9% describing their businesses “in decline”. Three years from now they each expect to be employing one more person. Local consumption is the largest part of the market at 39%. Not – as expected - visitors to the region, who still account for 30% of sales. But it is the local buyers who sustain the artists throughout the low and shoulder tourist seasons. As one artist said, “December to March are pasta and salad days, but when April comes, bringing tourists, it means steak for dinner.” And research found healthy inter-regional (16% of total) and interstate markets (12%). The US and Europe account for most international sales (3%). Fuel